This invention relates to a device for treatment of back pains and also for general well-being in another way, for instance by improving the circulation of the blood, comprising a stand supporting a reclining board which can be turned about a substantially horizontal shaft and a foot plate which can also be turned about the horizontal shaft at an adjustable distance from the reclining board.
Devices of the above-mentioned type are previously known. In using a typical one of these prior art devices, the person to be treated (assuming, for sake of convenience in description that the person is a man) places himself with his feet on the foot plate and fastens his feet to foot plate. After that he leans backwards with the upper part of his body against the reclining board and thereby presses the reclining board backwards, the suspension of the reclining board in the stand being such that the person's centre of gravity inclusive of reclining board and foot plate will shift so as to become located on the other side of the horizontal rotational shaft relative to the foot plate, so that the reclining board with the person is turned around the horizontal rotational shaft. Usually there is some kind of restriction so that the reclining board will not be quite turned completely over and the person have his head pointing straight downwards. However, the intention is that the person should lie substantially hanging by his feet, in order to achieve stretching of his back by his own body weight, so-called traction.
However, one disadvantage of these known devices is that the person's backward inclination must be rather great in order to overcome the friction between his body and the reclining board to obtain any stretching of his back. However, such a strong backward inclination leads in many cases to a feeling of discomfort for the person to be treated.